Serving device



May 3, 1938. A. LEPPKE 2,115,362

SERVING DEVICE Filed April 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Lours A. LEPPKL,

BY 6, W

ATTORNEY.

May 3, 1938.-- i L. A. LEPPKE 2,115,862

SERVING DEVICE Filed April 25', 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j INVENTOR. Lours A. LEPPKL. BY W 6 A'IIORNEY.

Patented May 3, i938 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to serving devices and particularly to devices for serving lap lunches and for lunch service on speedtrains, airplanes, cafeterias and the like.

In serving lunches on ordinary trays or plates, the cup or glass for the beverage served therewith is diflicult to hold on such trays or plates and said cup or glass is likely to slip and slide about thereon and come into contact with the food on the tray thereby making the cup or glass messy and sticky to handle.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a serving device having means for holding a cup or glass or the like out of contact with the food on the tray.

It is another object of my invention to provide a device of this character that is convenient and compact in serving lunches thereon.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device of this character constructed of metal, having two parts that may be stamped, said parts being secured together by simple clinching means.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a device of this character wherein cups or glasses of various sizes may be securely but removably held in the holding member, and wherein containers of various shapes may thus be held in said holding member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of simple and durable construction and of low manufacturing cost.

Numerous other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following detailed description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of my assembled serving device.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of same taken on line 22 of Figure 1 and including a glass received in the holder.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the holder member before same is secured to the plate or tray member.

Figure 4 is a view of the under side of the same.

Figure 5 is a partial plan of the central portion of the tray member showing the seat for the holder member.

Figure 6 is a partial section of same, taken on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view of the under side of same.

Figure 8 is an enlarged partial section taken on line 8-8 of Figure 5 showing a cross-section of one of the partitions or ribs of the tray member.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 6 which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, the device comprises a tray Iii stamped from sheet metal. The tray has an upturned edge portion II and is provided with partitions or ribs 12 raised from the bottom of said tray ii] and formed integrally therewith. Adjacent the center of the tray is a raised horizontal holder seat 13 formed by stamping and being an integral part of the tray. The ribs l2 merge with the raised edge portion II at their outer ends and with the raised portion in the center of the tray at their inner ends, the entire plate member being an integral formation. Slots M are provided in the seat l3 adjacent the inner ends of the ribs I2, the purpose of said slots being explained below.

The holder member is also stamped out of metal, or may be drawn therefrom, and is hollow. Said holder member is provided with a 25 series of stepped shoulders l5, l6 and I1 which form bases for flat bottomed glasses, the holder member being largest at the top for holding large sized glasses, as l8, Figure 2. Each lower shoulder is of smaller size respectively for hold- 30 ing smaller glasses, as l9, shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.

Depending from the inner edge of shoulder I1 is a tubular portion 20 adapted to rest on seat l3, and depending from the lower edge of tubular portion 20 are ears 2| arranged to be received in slots M in seat l3.

In assembling the device the holder is placed on seat l3 with the ears 2| projecting downwardly through the slots l4, said ears then being clinched or turned inwardly as shown in Figures 1 and 2 thereby securely fastening the plate and the holder member together.

A plane extending conically downward in the opening of the holder would touch the inner edges of the respective shoulders so that a conical or tapering beverage container may be removably received in said holder member.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material adof a piece of metal, said holder member being hollow and having a plurality of shoulders stepped inwardly from the top and spaced vertically apart, a tubular portion depending from the inner edge of the lower shoulder and received on the seat, and. a plurality of ears on the tubular portion received through the slots of the seat and turned inwardly against the under side of said seat.

LOUIS A. LEPPKE. 

